Chained Together
by JanEyrEvanescence12
Summary: AU WDZ Monterey storyline. A response to Inuvik's test of friendship challenge. Diego must deal with new feelings when he sees Ricardo flirting with Esperanza. But that becomes the least of his problems when he and Ricardo accidentally land into a trap…Diego de la Vega x Esperanza Montoya (O.C.)
1. Alien Feelings

Chained Together

* * *

**A/N:** My usual disclaimers: all copyrights go to those who rightfully own them.

So IcyWaters told me about this challenge and I've decided to join in on the fun. This will be three chapters long and I hope this story isn't too similar to anyone else's. Also, I need something cheerful while working on the doom and gloom of _At The Hour of Death_.

Like always, Esperanza is in this (to be honest, I'm not sure I can ever write a Zorro story without her in it, probably the result of coming up with so many adventures with her in them since I was a kid). But, don't worry, she plays a pretty minor role in this. And we're going to see what her relationship with Ricardo is like.

Before I start, I'm obliged to give a shoutout to my bf who (inadvertently) gave me the idea for this story. So thank you, honey, for the story of your college pals, a pair of handcuffs and a full bottle of Captain Morgan's.

With that all said, enjoy and destroy!

* * *

Alien Feelings

"Esperanza, are you ready to go?" Diego asked as he paced outside her door. He wanted to get to the _plaza_ before it got too crowded. In addition to being Diego's birthday, today was Santiago Apóstol, the feast day of Spain's patron saint. Everyone in the capital was expected to show up at the grand _fiesta_ in the plaza.

Even Anna Maria…no doubt she'd be the most beautiful woman there.

Today would be a very good birthday. Diego thought, imagining the dances he would have with Anna Maria.

Esperanza's bedroom door opened. "I was just pinching my cheeks, Diego." She said, walking out and brushing down her skirt. "You look very handsome." Esperanza said, straightening his dark brown neckerchief. "_Feliz cumpleaños, mi amigo_."

"_Gracias_, Esperanza. You look beautiful yourself." Diego said as he looked over Esperanza. Her thick, black hair was braided into a bun resting on the back of her head. A tortoiseshell _peineta_ was pressed into that, holding up her white lace _mantilla_. Freckled cheeks and shiny green eyes complimented her pale skin and buttery yellow dress. A beaded loop was around her wrist, connected to her lace fan.

"Did I take too long?" Esperanza asked, looking a little concerned. "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to look nice."

"You have every right to look nice tonight. After all, Santiago Apóstol only comes once a year." Ricardo said as he reached the landing, his hand behind his back. He was wearing a nice blue suit with a black _banda_.

His brown eyes shone when he saw her. A winning grin crossed his face as he removed his hat, took her hand and gave a sweeping bow. "You look lovely as always, Esperanza." Ricardo said as his lips grazed her knuckles.

Esperanza giggled, a bright smile crossing her face. "Ever the charmer, aren't you?" She asked.

That was what she said to Diego when he returned to Spain almost two years ago.

A strange feeling pricked Diego. His fists tightened. Ever since Ricardo had arrived in Monterey a week or so ago, he and Esperanza had been spending a lot of time whispering and chatting with each other.

Diego didn't think much of it. After all, she and Ricardo hadn't seen each other since they were children and he was busy working as Zorro.

"A beautiful _señorita_ like you deserves to be charmed." Ricardo said. "I've brought a gift. Although I should warn you. They're mere weeds compared to your beauty." Ricardo said, dramatically moving his hand from behind his back. The hallway filled with the sweet scent of the large white blooms. Esperanza's favorite.

"They're beautiful, Ricardo." Esperanza said, taking them. She smiled brightly at him.

"Are you sure there are no snakes or spiders in there?" Diego asked. "You surely remember the last time he gave you flowers, Esperanza."

"We were children then, Diego." Esperanza said, a little wounded.

"Do you really think I would give her a bouquet laced with snakes?" Ricardo said, astonished. "I wasn't in the mood to get punched today like last time."

"Give me two seconds, I'm going to put these in my room." Esperanza said, turning to her room, keeping the door open. She put them in a glass and poured some water from the pitcher to water the flowers.

"Hold on, my dear Esperanza." Ricardo said, walking into the bedroom. "You're missing something."

"And what's that?" Esperanza asked.

"This." Ricardo said, picking one of the flowers out and tucking it behind her ear. "Now you're truly ready."

"If you insist, Ricardo." Esperanza said, taking another flower out of the bouquet. "Then we should be a matching pair." She threaded the flower into a buttonhole of Ricardo's jacket.

"I will treasure it always." Ricardo said.

They smiled at each other. Esperanza straightened out Ricardo's black neckerchief while he smoothed out her hair.

Diego's eyes furrowed at the sight of them. Esperanza only straightened out his and Father's neckerchiefs while only Diego smoothed out her hair. Why was she allowing him to do that?

Esperanza and Ricardo turned to face him. "Now Diego, I'm sure Anna Maria will have a rose for you." She said, giving Diego an innocent smile. "You _did_ ask her to have a couple of dances with you."

It was true, Anna Maria did promise him a couple of dances at the _fiesta_. But she sounded disinterested, her brown eyes distant. He loved seeing her smile, her eyes would light up. It seemed that it only happened with Zorro though…

Diego caught Esperanza looking at him. She almost appeared…guilty. Before Diego could ask her, the look on her face changed and she looked back up at Ricardo, smiling.

A hand clapped on Diego's shoulder. It was Bernardo. He pretended to draw an arrow back to fire. "Yes, it seems love has struck Esperanza and Ricardo." Diego said in a low voice. For some reason, he sounded a little mean-spirited when he said that.

Bernardo shook his head, formed a jealous face and pointed at Diego. "Are you saying I'm jealous of my two friends?" He said, a little too defensively. Bernardo's eyebrow arched, his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed as if to say 'are you sure?'

Was he? Diego wondered. No. He had Anna Maria to woo away from Ricardo.

In time, she'd see the man he really was. El Zorro was a _part_ of him.

Besides, Esperanza was one of his closest friends. They shared everything together. Surely she would've said _something_ if she had feelings for him…

"Yes, I'm sure, Bernardo." Diego said, feeling his temper sparking. "She's not my wife or even my fiancée, so she can do as she pleases. If she and Ricardo want to be together, then they have my blessings. All I want is to see Esperanza happy."

But the thought of Esperanza being courted by somebody else irked him. He could only hope that it wouldn't put a damper on the rest of the _fiesta_.

* * *

The _fiesta_ was a lively one, Diego thought as he danced with Anna Maria. Lighted candles and torches burned fro, every corner of the large square. Couples dressed in their best whirled around while the band played in the corner. The sun had gone down, making the July heat more bearable. Diego could hear the clicking of the ladies' heels and various people chatting. The spicy scents of Teresa's tamales, pumpkin empanadas, and _carne con chiles_ filled the air along with the scent of rosewater perfume.

Anna Maria was certainly beautiful tonight. Diego thought. She was wearing a dramatic blue gown trimmed with black lace. Her tortoiseshell _peineta_ comb stood at least a half-foot over her head, draped with an elegant black _mantilla_ made of lace. A blooming red rose was tucked above either ear.

The song ended, everyone applauded as custom. "Thank you for the dance, Anna Maria." Diego said, bowing and kissing her hand.

"Of course, Diego. It is your birthday, after all." Anna Maria said with a polite smile before looking away. A sad smile crossed her face and Diego can see longing in her doe-like brown eyes.

"You're thinking about Zorro again?" Diego asked, feeling hurt. Once again, the Fox _had_ to get in the way. Except this time, it wasn't the way it usually happened.

"It's hard not to." Anna Maria said as they stepped off the dance floor. "I even brought a rose to give him…but it's understandable why he isn't here."

Oh, she had no idea who she was talking to. Part of him wanted to tell her the truth right then and there…but the fewer people who knew, the safer everyone would be. So far, the only three other than Diego who knew were Bernardo, Esperanza and Monastario.

And he wanted to keep it that way.

Not even his own father could know. He would put up with his father's disappointment forever if it meant he was safe from any and all enemies.

"I beg your pardon, Diego?" Anna Maria asked. "I promised someone else a dance."

"Of course." Diego said. "Have a good time." He was still too wrapped up in his own thoughts to care if Anna Maria danced with anyone else.

Ricardo and Esperanza were still on the dance floor, close to each other. He could hear Esperanza giggling. Ricardo's arm was around her shoulder as he gave her a gentle peck on the cheek. The band started a new song. Ricardo began dancing with Esperanza. They've shared every single dance since they arrived about an hour or so ago. Everyone else watched them with familiar secret smiles and whispers.

"Remember when we used to dance like that?" Diego heard a nearby elderly woman whisper to her husband.

Her husband chuckled. "Guarantee it, those two will be married by the end of the year."

The feelings were back. It was bad enough that he was competing with both El Zorro and Ricardo for Anna Maria…but the fact that Ricardo had set his sights on Esperanza ate at him.

Shouldn't he be glad that Esperanza was being courted? With her role as _curandera_ and as Zorro's helper, she barely had time for herself, let alone a relationship. Her eighteenth birthday was rapidly approaching and she was close to being a spinster.

Diego knew that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be a wife and mother. That was something Diego understood. He himself wanted to have a family someday.

Also, Ricardo and Esperanza courting was less competition for Anna Maria's affections. Too bad it wasn't working as Anna Maria only took notice of his masked alter ego

Still, the thought of Esperanza marrying another man made Diego feel…uncomfortable. Besides, if she married Ricardo, they would leave for his home in Yerba Buena.

The thought of never seeing Esperanza again was an unhappy one. Was he being possessive? No. Diego reminded himself. If he was truly possessive, he would've marched over and taken Esperanza away.

Was Bernardo right? Was he jealous?

"Don Diego!" Garcia said from off to the side. "_¡Feliz cumpleaños!_"

Forcing a smile on his face, Diego turned to his friend, who had his hands full with some tamales from Teresa's stall. "_Gracias, mi amigo_. How are the tamales?"

"At the rate he's wolfing them down, it'll be a miracle if there is any masa and filling left in all of California!" Teresa said with a laugh.

"Of course, they are very delicious!" Garcia said, trying to pay her a compliment. Teresa smiled and rolled her eyes.

"So what have you been up to, lately?" Diego said. It had been a while since he had seen the portly sergeant and Corporal Reyes.

"We've been on patrol. Apparently, some people have gone missing." Garcia said.

_That _caught Diego's attention. "Really?" He asked.

"_Si_, so far, three men have vanished."

Looks like the fox would be doing some riding tonight. "Is it anyone we know?" He asked.

"No. All three men were very well built and have no connection to anybody in or around Monterey." Garcia said.

Diego was about to ask more questions when Reyes called out. "_Sargento_! A little help here, please?"

"If you'll excuse me, Don Diego?" Garcia asked, looking somewhat guilty.

"Go ahead." Diego said. Garcia left.

But before he could follow Garcia, Father walked up to him. "_Mijo_, are you having a good time?" He asked Diego.

Great…Diego thought, suppressing a groan. "Of course, Father, why would I not be?" Diego asked. Bernardo caught his eye with a nod before walking after Garcia.

Good. Diego said to himself, relieved. The faithful _mozo_ would be listening in on Garcia in case he says more about the disappearances and wouldn't hesitate to fetch Diego if need be.

"Don't try hiding it, Diego. I can see that you're upset." Father said, his dark eyes firm.

Diego swallowed, unsure of what to say. That's when he noticed Esperanza was watching him. There was that guilty look again. When she noticed he was watching her, the look vanished and she looked up at Ricardo again with a smile. This time though, the joyful look on her face seemed forced, her eyes not as bright.

Was Ricardo hurting her? No. Diego thought. Despite being an incurable practical jokester, Ricardo was still an honorable gentleman. He'd never hurt anyone…on purpose that was.

"It's about Esperanza, isn't it?" Father asked in a gentle voice. "You're jealous that she's paying attention to Ricardo and not you?"

For some reason, he wasn't as rattled by Father's suggestion. When Bernardo suggested it, he was shocked. Maybe he really _was_ jealous…

But if he had feelings for Esperanza and got jealous, then why wasn't it that way with Anna Maria? He didn't seem to care what she was doing.

Then maybe his love for her was purer than for Esperanza.

Anna Maria was suddenly elevated in his eyes.

"Maybe you should speak to Esperanza about your feelings." Father said in a low voice.

"Esperanza is one of my dearest friends." Diego said a little too firmly. Being accused of jealousy was one thing. But what Father was suggesting was something else entirely. He loved Anna Maria and no one else. "It's just something I'm not used to seeing, that's all."

Father only shook his head, unconvinced. "Everyone else but you can see it. Believe me, _mijo_, if you don't talk to Esperanza about how you feel, you'll be filled with regret."

"Speaking from experience?" Diego asked, a little sharply.

Father sadly looked at his hand, showing the gold ring still on his finger. He and Mother had been married for nearly twelve years before she died. It had been another thirteen years and Diego knew he still missed her. "Trust me on this, my son."

The song stopped. Everyone applauded as custom. Ricardo whispered something to Esperanza. Her eyebrows arched in surprise and she whispered something back. Ricardo gave Diego a quick glance out of the corner of his eye before whispering something else to Esperanza.

They were talking about him. Maybe he should walk up and ask if everything's all right. No. Diego reminded himself. The de la Vega temper was beginning to brew. He was afraid that it would do more thinking than his head.

Right now, he needed to remain calm in case the missing men Garcia mentioned were in danger.

Esperanza nodded. Ricardo walked to the band and had a few words with the leader. A grin crossed the leader's face and he prepared for a new dance.

Ricardo walked up to Esperanza, putting his right hand on her waist and raising his left arm up in the air in an arc. Esperanza did likewise. The band started up a new song.

To Diego's surprise, it was a _pasodoble_. All attention turned to Ricardo and Esperanza.

Their heels clicked as Ricardo spun her around. He guided her through the intricate dance. Esperanza's neatly braided hair began flying out of its bun and her mantilla seemed in danger of falling off. Ricardo's forehead gleamed.

The guitarists were playing so fast that their fingers blurred. Diego could hear the violin singing. The audience clapped in time with the song.

Like other _pasodobles_, the song ended suddenly at its climax. Ricardo pulled Esperanza close to him, running his fingers through her loose hair. Their lips were almost touching and they looked at each other.

Everyone broke into raucous applause.

All but Diego. His passion was really burning now.

Get away. He had to get somewhere to cool down before he did something he'd wind up regretting.

The fox always acted rationally.

He stormed off. "Diego!" Esperanza shouted. But he was too angry to heed her cries.

* * *

Diego ended up in an alleyway a few blocks away from the plaza.

God…his heart raced at the memory of Esperanza and Ricardo dancing.

Such passion.

Such fire.

Diego kicked a stone in the alleyway. _CHINK_! It hit the wall.

The feelings had turned into a burning fire.

How could they do that?! He wondered as he paced.

He wanted to go back and tell Ricardo to stay away from Esperanza…

Hold on…what was he doing?! Diego thought. He was acting like a rooster trying to protect the henhouse.

Esperanza had every right to dance with whomever she wanted. And for that matter, didn't he spend most of the night with Anna Maria? Or rather, a good part of his time since they arrived in Monterey?

Father and Bernardo were right. He _was_ jealous.

Maybe his feelings for Esperanza were indeed deeper than he wanted to admit.

Not as deep as for Anna Maria, of course. He rarely got jealous when it came to her. A sign of true love. As Paul the Apostle once preached; love never got jealous.

Shame replaced Diego's feelings of jealousy.

Maybe Father was right.

Maybe he _should_ talk to Esperanza.

Diego's foot brushed against something. Looking down, he saw a lone dueling pistol. What was this doing here? Diego thought as he picked it up.

**WHACK!** Something smacked into the back of his head. Diego fell to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Help me with him." A gruff voice said from above Diego.

Diego's vision blurred as hands grabbed him.

* * *

**A/N:** Uh oh…here we go! Next chapter will be up in five minutes.


	2. Chained Together

**A/N**: Chapter 2 is now up! Will our heroes survive the event this challenge has posed?

* * *

Chained Together

The first thing Diego can remember is somebody's hand rubbing his shoulder. "Diego? Diego, _mi amigo_, wake up!" Ricardo shouted in his ear.

Ears buzzing, Diego groaned as he sat up. His head throbbed. There was the sound of a rattling chain near his head. "What happened?" He asked, groggy. He held his head in his hands. For some reason, his right wrist felt heavier.

Ricardo sighed. "_¡Gracias a Dio!_ I was afraid that you were…"

"Obviously not." Diego groaned. God, his head really hurt. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. The last thing I can remember is looking for you." Ricardo said.

Diego looked around. He and Ricardo were being held in what looked like a small room. It was dark, the only light was coming through a filthy window. The room itself was made of gray pine boards and the few things inside it were covered with dust. A table and chair. An oil lamp. A tarp piling something that looked like a pile of junk.

"Have you tried breaking out?" Diego asked, sitting up.

"That's the problem." Ricardo said, holding up his left wrist. A heavy looking manacle was locked around it. The other manacle was locked on Diego's right wrist. So _that's_ why his wrist felt so heavy.

Before Diego could make out a plan, there's a rustling noise by the door. "Quiet." Diego said, leaning forward in order to hear better.

"…are you sure they're out?" A man said from the other side of the door.

"Don't worry. I hit both of them pretty hard. They'll be out for hours." Another responds. "Although why did you have to pick two of the best dressed men in Monterey?! Somebody's bound to notice that they're missing!"

"The tall one fell right into the trap, picking up that pistol. Didn't help when that the other wandered into the alleyway moments after I sprung the trap." The first man responded. "Besides, both of them fit what _Señor_ Vasquez is looking for; strong able bodied men for the mines in Mexico."

Diego's blood ran cold. _Señor_ Vasquez was a notorious slaver that the Fox had the misfortune of running into a year or so previously.

"Then we need to move them and the other three out of here before somebody notices that they're missing." The second man said. "Speaking of which, where are the other three?"

"Locked up in the other shed…" The first man said, their voices and footsteps fading away.

Diego and Ricardo looked at each other. They needed to get out of there and they needed to get out of there now.

"What're you doing?" Ricardo asked as Diego looked around. "I really doubt we're going to find any books about how to get out of here."

Diego fought the urge to roll his eyes. Focus on getting out of here first. "Do you have any better ideas?" He asked.

"No." Ricardo admitted.

"Then help me find a couple of keys or something we can use to unlock these manacles." Diego said, beginning to search through the things on the table.

"Here." Ricardo said, holding up a rusty looking hacksaw. "Will this work?"

"It'll do." Diego said. "I can't find any keys."

"Hold still." Ricardo said, touching the hacksaw to the chain. "I'll have us out in no time."

* * *

"Any luck?" Diego asked, keeping an eye on the door. It might've been a few minutes but to Diego, it felt like several hours.

"I'm closer than when I started." Ricardo said with a grunt. Sweat is shining on his face. But the hacksaw hadn't even gone a quarter way through the first chain.

"It's useless." Diego said, frustrated. "We've wasted several minutes already."

Ricardo dropped the hacksaw. It landed on the dirt floor with a clang. "You think I don't know that?" He growled, looking at Diego.

Stay calm. Diego reminded himself.

Staying calm was the only way he would be able to see Anna Maria again.

Ricardo's face softened. "_Lo siento, mi amigo_. I'm just as frustrated as you are."

"It's all right." Diego said. "Well, do you have any other ideas?"

"If we had some gunpowder…" Ricardo said, a mischievous look on his face. "I was jesting." He said with a laugh at Diego's blanched face.

"Glad to know one of us still has a sense of humor." Diego said.

Before Ricardo could say more, there were voices on the other side of the door. "The chains are ready and _Señor_ Vasquez will be here at any moment."

"Good."

"Get by the door." Diego whispered.

"What do you plan on doing?" Ricardo asked as they slunk by the door.

"Watch." Diego said, balling his hand into a fist. Ricardo saw where he was going and also formed a fist.

The door opened. Diego could see a tall shadow there. "Hey! Where are they?!" The shadow yelled.

Now! Diego punched the man in the gut. He groaned and fell down. Ricardo slammed his fist into the back of the man's head. He didn't move.

"What's going on?!" The other man shouted. Another shadow entered the doorway. Ricardo was faster, delivering a kick to the man's shins. The man grunted, doubling over. Diego threw another punch, hitting the man in the face. Bones popped and he collapsed.

"Where the hell did you learn to punch like that?" Ricardo asked, looking at Diego in amazement.

He had to cover his tracks quickly. "It's amazing what one learns from reading books." Diego said with a shrug. "Come on, help me find their keys."

* * *

"Freedom!" Ricardo said in relief as the manacle fell off.

"Not for long." Diego said, rubbing his wrist. The kidnappers might be out but they'll quickly recover." They needed to rescue the other three men and escape before Senor Vasquez arrived. "Help me." Diego said, putting the manacle on one of them. Ricardo did the same on the other man's hand. "There. That should keep them busy for some time."

Diego and Ricardo stepped outside. They were out in the desert. The stars and moon shone brightly. However, there was also the familiar smell of rain. It was thick and heavy. Sure, off to the rest were large clouds shaped like anvils. Lighting flashed madly inside the clouds.

Diego recognized the nearby mountain range from his patrols. They were two miles east from Monterey. They needed to get home before the storms started. It looked like it would be an intense one.

"Where did they say the other two men were being held?" Ricardo asked.

"They said a nearby shack." Diego said. He looked around and sure enough saw a smaller shack beside the one they had been trapped in. A palomino and a pinto horse stood by the door. No doubt they belonged to the two kidnappers.

"This has to be it." Ricardo said, gripping the doorknob and turning. The door opened with a loud creak. Diego could hear the shuffling of chains. By the moonlight filtering through the doorway, he could see the huddled forms of three men. Their clothes and faces dirtied, their eyes haunted. They cowered in the corner.

What had they done?

"Who is it?" One of the men cried out, holding his arm up to his face. Diego could see a large bruise forming on his face.

"Zorro? Is that you?" Another one of them cried out, his green eyes bright.

"No. If it were Zorro, he would've saved us long ago." The third said, rubbing his swollen jaw.

"We're going to get you out of here." Ricardo said, walking over and beginning to unlock the chains.

"Where are the two men who captured us?" Bruised Face asked.

"Out cold." Diego explained. "How long have you been held here?"

"Two days, I think." Green Eyes said. "We were walking back to the inn after visiting our mother when we were attacked in a nearby alleyway."

"You're brothers?" Diego asked, watching for _Señor_ Vasquez or their kidnappers.

"Si, the brothers Verdes at your service." Swollen Jaw said, rubbing his face. "Juan is the oldest." He pointed at the man with the bruised face. "I'm Miguel and the youngest of us is Nicolás."

"That's the last of them." Ricardo said. "Come on, let's get out of here before they wake up."

Juan and Nicolas stood up. Miguel tried getting up but fell over with a loud cry of pain. "Miguel!" Juan shouted as he ran over.

"I'm all right." Miguel grunted in pain, gripping his right leg.

"What happened?" Diego asked, kneeling next to Miguel and probed his leg to check for broken bones.

"I tried to escape earlier today." Miguel said through gritted teeth. "They decided to teach me a lesson and hit my leg with something." He yelped as Diego felt below his leg. Sure enough, it felt broken. "That hurts!"

"Sorry." Diego said. Miguel needed to get back to Monterey quickly as he was more or less a sitting duck. The horses…Diego formed a plan. "Can any of you ride?"

"We're the best _vaqueros_ on Don Rafael Zaragoza's _ranchero_ in San Diego." Nicolás said.

"Good. There are two horses outside. Take him back to Monterey and find Sergeant Garcia. Tell him that the two kidnappers are knocked out cold at the base of the San Lucian range. Bring him back here." Diego said.

"What about you and your friend?" Juan asked, getting on one side of Miguel.

"We'll walk back to Monterey by the main road." Diego said, looking at Ricardo. "I want to be as far away as possible before our kidnappers wake up and find us gone."

* * *

"How much further?" Ricardo asked Diego, leaning against a dead tree. He bent over and rubbed his boots.

"Not much further." Diego said. He could see the well-lit _pueblo_ a mile or so away down the main road. The clouds were advancing closer and closer and he could hear the thunder.

"I wish we had a horse." Ricardo groaned. "If I knew that I was going to be doing a lot of walking tonight, I would've picked better shoes."

God, he was really trying his patience tonight. Diego was tired and wanted to get back to the inn before the storm clouds overtook them.

What he wouldn't do to have Phantom there!

"It could be worse." Diego reminded his friend as he turned to face him. "We could be on our way to the mines in Mexico." A faint roar coming towards them made him pause. "Do you hear that?" He asked.

"It sounds like the ocean. But we're nowhere near it." Ricardo said.

Diego noticed that the road had dipped down into a shallow bed. Oh no…his father's warnings during his boyhood days returned. "Ricardo! Get out! It's an _arroyo_!" He screamed, shoving Ricardo out of the way.

The two men raced up the hill as a wave of water raced down the dry creek bed. Diego's right foot got caught in something and he fell down, kicking up dust. He screamed in pain and reached down.

His foot had gotten caught in a rabbit hole. Before he could pull his foot loose, the wall of water crashed into him. The wind got knocked out of him and he almost got swept away by the fast moving current. It was only by grabbing a low hanging tree branch that he was able to keep himself anchored.

"Diego!" Ricardo shouted as he ran back. He grabbed Diego's arm and began to pull, keeping his other hand on the tree branch to stabilize himself. But the high water was threatening to sweep both of them away. Each pull only made Diego's foot hurt more.

"Stop!" Diego screamed. "You're hurting me!"

"Help me or both of us are going to drown!" Ricardo shouted.

The force of the rushing water made it pretty hard for Diego to pull his foot lose.

A rope landed a few feet away from him. Seeing it as a sign, Diego grabbed the rope. It held tight.

"Ricardo, pull my foot out!" Diego screamed.

Ricardo let go of the tree branch and pushed Diego's foot free. He then put Diego's arm over his shoulder. "Pull!" He screamed, hanging onto the rope with his other hand.

The rope went taunt. Ricardo helped Diego up the bank. They got to the top before collapsing onto the dirt. Diego's eyes stung with tears. His right foot was throbbing and his chest hurt from getting hit by the raging wall of water. "Are you all right?" Diego asked.

"I will be as soon as my heart rates goes back down." Ricardo said, chuckling. He looked up to see who had saved them. "Zorro will save us indeed." Ricardo said, looking astonished.

Diego looked up and saw a man dressed in black, maybe Bernardo's height. A low brimmed hat was pulled over his face, hiding any discernable features. He was wrapping the rope around his arm.

Bernardo had come for them.

"_Gracias, mi amigo_." Diego mouthed. Zorro nodded. There was the sound of hoof-beats coming from the pueblo. Diego and Ricardo turned to look.

Garcia, Reyes and two other soldiers were riding back with Nicolás. They also brought two horses, presumably for Diego and Ricardo to ride.

"There they are!" Nicolás shouted, quickly dismounting.

"Don Diego! Don Ricardo! Are you hurt?" Garcia cried as he jumped off his horse.

"I hurt my foot and my nice suit is muddied." Diego groaned. "But other than that, we're fine."

"Praise to God." Garcia said, relief washing over his face.

"If it weren't for Zorro, we surely would've…" Ricardo said, turning back to face their rescuer. But nobody was there. "Hey, where did he go?!"

Diego heard the distant roar of hoof-beats. Good, his friend was escaping. "We'll go after him some other time." Garcia said. "Right now, let's get you two back to the inn."

"But our orders, _sargento_…" Reyes protested.

"Don Diego is hurt. Besides, there will always be another day to catch Zorro." Garcia said.

"_Gracias_, _sargento_." Diego said, grateful he wasn't going looking for his old friend.

"Let's get back to the inn. We have a pretty _señorita_ waiting for us." Ricardo said.

Diego's face brightened at the thought of seeing Anna Maria again. "Ricardo?" He said as Garcia and Ricardo helped him to one of the horses. His friend looked at him. "Thank you for saving my life."

Ricardo smiled. "I was only doing what you'd do for me. But you're welcome, _mi amigo_. Let's just hope that your next birthday won't be anywhere near as crazy. Between you and me, I'm not sure my heart can take it."

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**A/N:** Ok, so this wasn't my best story. But we've got one chapter to go. It'll be up in five minutes, promise.


	3. The Calm during the Storm

**A/N:** So here we are onto the final chapter!

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The Calm during the Storm

The storm was going in full force by the time Diego and Ricardo returned to the inn. Ricardo helped Diego hobble into the inn. The scent and heat of the crackling fire welcomed them. Diego and Ricardo both were covered in mud from their encounter with the _arroyo_ and their teeth chattered.

Ah, how Diego wanted to take a hot bath and sleep under the warm bedding tonight!

Father and Esperanza were sitting before the fire, still dressed in their finery. Bernardo was nowhere to be seen. Probably shuttering Phantom up for the night, Diego thought as the two of them rose from their seats. Esperanza's eyes were red and puffy, she had obviously been crying.

Diego moved a little to the side so Esperanza could hug Ricardo.

She ran over to Diego, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. The scent of her rosewater perfume and Romany flowers surrounded him. Diego winced because of his hurt ribs, returned her hug. God…he was so happy to see her again. He thought, kissing the top of her head. "Are you hurt?!" She cried.

"We're fine, just took a bath in the _arroyo_." Ricardo said.

"You scared me to death." Esperanza said, pulling away from him. Her green eyes furrowed as she looked at Ricardo. "_¡Y en cuanto a ti, estúpido!_ Was this your idea of a sick practical joke?!"

"It was not a practical joke, Esperanza." Ricardo said.

"Don't try convincing me! You nearly got Diego killed last week when you accused him of being a horse thief! You're going to get yourself or somebody else killed if you don't stop these jokes!" Esperanza shouted, shoving Ricardo.

"Can we talk about this later?" Diego asked, tears burning at the corner of his eyes again. God, he needed to sit down. "My foot!" He screamed.

The _curandera_ in Esperanza took over. "Help me get him over to a nearby chair." She ordered Ricardo. They helped him hobble to a nearby chair. "Papa, do you mind fetching my medicinal bag? It's in my room."

"_Si, chiquita_." Father said, leaving.

"Ricardo, I need you to fetch all the towels and blankets you can find." Esperanza said.

"I'll consider it my punishment for unnecessarily scaring you." Ricardo said.

"So what happened?" Esperanza asked as she helped Diego take off his boot.

"I left to cool down and stumbled into a trap set up by two of _Señor_ Vasquez's workers." Diego said, wincing as she rubbed her fingers over his ankle.

"I know that but how did you hurt your foot?" Esperanza asked.

"It got caught in a rabbit hole in an _arroyo_…hold on, how did you know about me being captured by _Señor_ Vasquez?" Diego asked.

"The Verde brothers arrived about ten minutes ago. The youngest led Garcia out to find you and Ricardo…you both were gone for well over an hour" Esperanza said. "I'm sorry, Diego."

"For what?" Diego asked.

"Making you upset. If I hadn't danced with Ricardo, you wouldn't have left…" Esperanza said.

That's right…Diego remembered the jealous feelings at seeing Ricardo and Esperanza dance. But his feelings for Anna Maria were still pure.

She was the woman he wanted to be with.

He was about to say something when Father returned with Esperanza's medical bag. "Here you are, _chiquita_. How does it look?"

"It's a definite sprain." Esperanza said, giving Diego a firm look. "For the next week or so, only reading and music for you…unless you want to damage your foot beyond repair. Is that understood?"

Diego nodded. Hopefully nothing crazy would be happening.

The front door opened. Bernardo ran in, drenched to the skin. His worried face lit up at the sight of Diego. Now he had a chance to thank his friend.

"Esperanza, I need to talk to you and Ricardo both, quietly." Father said firmly. No doubt it was about the dance Ricardo and Esperanza shared.

Diego nodded at Esperanza. She left with Father and Ricardo to a quiet corner. Taking his opportunity, Bernardo ran over, waving his hands wildly. "I'm all right." Diego said in a low voice. "Thanks to you."

Bernardo looked at him, confused. "You mean you weren't the one who threw the rope out to Ricardo and me in the _arroyo_?" Diego asked.

He shook his head, moved his hands up and down like reins and drew a circle. "You were looking for me around Monterey?" Bernardo nodded.

This was an interesting turn of events. Diego thought. "Then if you weren't the one there, who was?"

Father barked a laugh from the corner. They looked at them. Esperanza was looking a little sheepish and Ricardo was giving her an admiring look. A little sting hit Diego but he remembered Anna Maria's sweet smiling face and how he decided she was the one for him.

Bernardo was giving him that look again. "I've decided to give my blessings to Ricardo and Esperanza's courtship. Besides, I've decided that Anna Maria is the one I want to marry." Diego said. Bernardo looked at him in surprise. "I never get jealous when Anna Maria does things with anyone else. Love doesn't get jealous. If I really loved Esperanza, I would let her do as she pleased and be glad for her."

Bernardo gave him an unsure look. Ricardo nodded before turning to leave. "Diego, about the dance Esperanza and I had earlier…" He said, shuffling his right boot on the back of his left leg.

"Don't worry about it." Diego said, swallowing his feelings. "You have my full blessing to court Esperanza. Just promise me you'll treat her right."

Ricardo scoffed and shook his head. "Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have Esperanza?" He asked.

"She's a wonderful friend and I know she'll make a wonderful wife and mother…" Diego said, hoping Ricardo wasn't trying to rub it in.

"…You don't get it, do you?" Ricardo said, shaking his head. "You better keep her close to you, _mi amigo_, otherwise you'll lose her and you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

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**A/N:** So this was my response to the Ricardo challenge. I'm sorry if it wasn't very good but it doesn't help when one has two days to write.

How was it?


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